Environment

Cutting Catalogs To Save Trees

November 15, 2007

As the holiday ornaments spring up across the retail landscape, you've got to wonder how many trees are being sacrificed to churn out the onslaught of gift catalogs arriving unsolicited in American mailboxes.

One conscientious effort has quit wondering and started acting to save trees from this cruel fate. CatalogChoice.org, a free online service launched by three environmental groups, allows consumers to ask that merchants remove them from their mailing lists.

So far, more than 125,000 people have signed up, and all the merchants contacted are honoring the requests.

Seems like a simple idea that may eventually inspire retailers to print fewer catalogs, and cut back on waste. Better yet for the consumer: a great reduction in unwanted clutter mounting on the kitchen counter. Now that's a gift in itself.